West Brattleboro Association to meet Feb. 14
WEST BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, Feb. 14, from 8-9:30 a.m., the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will hold its next monthly meeting. It will take place in the community room at Hayes Court on Garfield Drive, the first road on the right after the West Brattleboro Post Office and Richards Building.
The meeting agenda will cover updates on traffic safety along Western Avenue, the Town Plan as it affects West Brattleboro, and information about the Stockwell Trail. The new 2013 work plan will be reviewed.
The WBA will discuss its signage initiatives and plans for a possible third annual West B Village Day. The WBA's participation in the town's fire station upgrade project and the Housing Authority's housing upgrade efforts will also be addressed. In addition, the group will discuss the arts, including either working with the Academy School or with the Town on the National Endowment for the Arts grant.
The meeting is open to all residents and business owners. For more information, visit www.westbrattleboro.org.
Monthly senior meal in Halifax is Feb. 15
HALIFAX - The next senior meal in Halifax is Friday, Feb. 15, at noon at the Community Hall, at the intersection of Branch and Brook roads in West Halifax.
All seniors are welcome for a luncheon of corn chowder, corn bread, rolls, Jello salad, and a dessert. Reservations are appreciated, call Joan at 802-368-7733.
BF Farmers' Market open on Feb. 15
BELLOWS FALLS - On Friday, Feb. 15, the Bellows Falls Farmers' Market will hold its fourth winter market of the season. The market will be held indoors at the Train Station, just across the street from their regular location, 4-7 p.m..
The winter market series runs from November through March the third Friday of each month. They welcome the Westminster Historical Society to the February market. They will be selling raffle tickets for their annual spring fundraiser. First prize is a handmade quilt, which will be on display at the market.
For additional information about the Bellows Falls Farmers' Market, contact market manager Rachel Ware at [email protected] or 802-463-2018.
Osher lectures on landscape gardening conclude
DUMMERSTON - The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) announces the last in its annual midwinter series of three lectures, to be presented on Monday, Feb. 18.
This winter's lectures are titled “Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love.” Julie Moir Messervy, a landscape gardener and designer in Saxtons River, and her associates Anna Johansen and Jana Bryant Wunderle, will use images, case studies, diagrams, and plans to explain the process of turning any property into the ideal garden - a home oudoors.
Lectures will run from 1 to 3 p.m. and will take place at the Southeastern Vermont Learning Collaborative, 471 Vermont Route 5. Parking and handicapped access are available. Light refreshments will be served. The per-lecture fee, for OLLI members and nonmembers both, is $6.
The Osher Institute is a membership organization sponsoring programs for people aged fifty and over who wish to continue their education without tests, papers, or grades. For more information call 802-257-8600 or toll-free 866-889-0042.
Tobacco cessation classes offered at BMH
BRATTLEBORO - Brattleboro Memorial Hospital introduces two sessions of a continuing series of free classes for people who wish to stop smoking.
The “Your Quit, Your Way Fresh Start Tobacco Cessation” program differs from the six-week workshop previously offered by providing ongoing education and support for participants.
Terri Kneipp, a trained facilitator from the Vermont Department of Health Access, leads all classes.
BMH is offering afternoon sessions every Tuesday from 5-6 P.M., beginning Feb. 19, and morning sessions every Wednesday from 9-10 a.m., beginning Feb. 20. Both take place in Conference Room B at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, located at 17 Belmont Ave.
Space is limited. Participants must be 18 years or older. Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy is available for Vermont residents. Call 802-251-8456 to pre-register for a session or get more information.
Schneck to give talk at NEYT on Uganda trip
BRATTLEBORO - Dr. Ken Schneck will present “Tulibaluganda: A snarky gay Jew's journey in rural Uganda” at the New England Youth Theatre at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20 as part of a one-night only benefit performance to raise money for a primary school in Uganda and HIV/AIDS research here in the United States.
Schneck serves as the Dean of Students at Marlboro College, is a member of the Brattleboro Selectboard and the host of “This Show is So Gay” an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show.
For 12 days in June 2010 and 8 days in November 2012, he volunteered at the Mbiriizi Primary School in Uganda. Currently, there are 1,006 children in the primary school - ages 3 to 14 - of which 250 are orphans due to the ravages of HIV/AIDS.
This original travelogue reflects Schneck's transformative experience illustrated by stunning images he captured during his part-comical, part-insightful, part-heart-breaking and completely eye-opening adventures in Africa. Suggested donation is $10, and there will be baked goods, raffle tickets for photo prints, AIDS awareness t-shirts and pins for sale.
All proceeds will be split between Sylvia's Children, the Emory Vaccine Center and the UCLA AIDS Institute. Sylvia's Children is a non-profit organization that supports the Mbiriizi Primary School in Mbiriizi, Uganda. The Emory Vaccine Center and the UCLA AIDS Institute are the beneficiaries of Charity Treks, a 415-mile bike ride that raises money to find a cure for HIV/AIDS.
For more information about “Tulibaluganda,” contact Schneck at [email protected] or 802-258-9238.
Deadline for Irene assistance application nearing
BRATTLEBORO - Windham County homeowners who have unmet needs due to Tropical Storm Irene flooding may still apply for assistance from the Southeastern Vermont Long Term Recovery Committee.
Eligible needs include interior and exterior home repairs, drainage projects, mold mitigation, driveway repair, mobile home replacement, home rebuilds, purchase of materials, home moves, and furniture delivery.
Friday, Feb. 15 is the deadline for applications. To apply for SEVT LTRC recovery funds, contact Disaster Recovery Service at 800-464-9951 or [email protected].
RFPL hosts winter wildlife program on Feb. 19
BELLOWS FALLS - Many animals are specially adapted to survive winter. While some animals hibernate, others have evolved to thrive in the Vermont cold.
To learn more about adaptation and survival, the Rockingham Free Public Library is hosting a talk with mammalogist Dr. Peter Smith, Ph.D., about smaller winter wildlife on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m.
Minks, weasels, and fisher cats are a few of the lesser known smaller mammals that Smith will cover in this special School Vacation Week program. Fear not, there will not be live animals, only “study skins” on display.
Smith is an adjunct instructor at Green Mountain College and lives in Mount Holly. This program is free and open to people of all ages with light refreshments provided. The library is located at 65 Westminster St. For more information, call 802-463-4270, visit http://rockinghamlibrary.org, or connect on Facebook at http://facebook.com/RockinghamLibrary.
State, federal lead paint certification courses offered
SPRINGFIELD - Lead Safe & Healthy Homes, in collaboration with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, is hosting a free lead paint safety course for those interested in learning more about Vermont's Lead Law. Vermont's Essential Maintenance Practices (EMP) class will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Howard Dean Education Center in Springfield.
Vermont law requires that all landlords, contractors, and daycare facility owners disturbing more than 1 sq. ft. of paint in a rental property or child-occupied facility built before 1978 be EMP certified.
Lead Safe & Healthy Homes is also hosting an EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting class on Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Springfield Fire Station. This federal certification class is $150 to register. All landlords and contractors that disturb more than 6 sq. ft. of paint are required to obtain EPA certification or be supervised by a certified renovator.
At these trainings participants will learn about the requirements of Vermont's lead paint law and related federal regulations, the health effects of lead in children and adults, lead-safe work practices and how to protect yourself from liability. Pre-registration is strongly suggested. Contact Lead Safe & Healthy Homes at 802-463-9927, ext 208, with any questions, or to register.
E.T. screening to benefit local nonprofits
BELLOWS FALLS – The aliens are coming! The aliens are coming!
Well, at least one.
E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial will make an appearance at the Bellows Falls Opera House on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., in a screening of the iconic movie as a benefit for Our Place Drop-in Center and the Greater Falls Warming Shelter.
Released in 1982, E.T. tells the story of an alien left behind on earth who encounters 10-year-old Elliot. The two begin to communicate and start a different kind of friendship in which E.T. learns about life on earth and Elliot learns about the true meaning of friendship. E.T. wants to go home, but if Elliot helps him, he'll lose a friend.
Admission to the movie is $4. The movie is rated PG for language and mild thematic elements.
Our Place is a daytime shelter and food pantry that is observing its 20th year of operation. It is located at 6 Island St. in Bellows Falls. The Warming Shelter maintains a site for temporary emergency housing during the colder months, located this year in North Walpole, N.H. Both organizations can be found on Facebook.
Master Gardeners present free introduction to beekeeping class
BRATTLEBORO - A free introduction to beekeeping class is being offered by the Windham County Extension Master Gardeners and presented by Jodi Turner of Imagine That HONEY! of Swanzey, N.H., with additional discussions about ways to use alternative methods to attract beneficial insects to our gardens.
The class will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, North Room, on Vernon Street. Preregistration is required, call 802-251-9943, and leave your name and phone number to reserve a spot. The class is limited is 30 attendees.